Chapter 230 He is not dead.

Chapter 230 He is not dead.
CHAPTER 230
He is not dead.
SCARLETT

I wake up with a gasp, temporarily blinded by the bright white light. 

The beep of a heart monitor fills the room, and almost immediately, the door opens.

“You are alright. You’re safe.” The voice floats around me, sounding vaguely familiar, but I cannot place it. My head is thrumming, and my heart has turned erratic. The beeping increases, and my vision swims. Where am I? My baby? My baby? My … Roman? 

Slowly, I sink into the softest cushion of darkness, only to wake up hours later. 

The light is not so bright, and I feel better, but my head still feels as if it were covered by fog. My entire body is bruised. My hand reach for my belly, and tears burn my eyes. My baby. Nothing must happen to my baby and Roman. I remember him crawling to me in a pool of his own blood. He had crawled to me, even with the last strength he had. A sob tears out of me viscerally, and I cover my mouth, but nothing muffles it. Exhaustion has sunk into my bones. The past weeks weigh heavily on me. My guilt swallows me whole, and my head swims.

The door opens slowly, and Eve walks in.

She stares at me cautiously, “H … Hi.”

“Hi, Eve.” I wipe my tears, but it is of no use because I can’t stop crying. She looks better than the last time I saw her. She is alive, and that is all that matters to me. She is alive and healthy. My Eve. My sister.

“You … you look … you look nice,” she stammers, biting her lips.

My eyes sting, and I mumble, “Where is Roman? How … how is my baby? I can’t … I can’t feel her. Is she alright?” 

She nods, “Yes, yes. Roman is in surgery. His second surgery. There were some complications with the first, but this one is going accordingly. He will be fine, and your baby is alright.” 

“Second surgery?” I try to sit up, but my sore muscles protest.

“He … he got stabbed in the side, and it hit an organ or something. I do not really know the details, but we have the best doctors in the world attending to him. You have nothing to worry about. He will walk on hot coal if it means he comes home to you. He will be fine. He will pull through.” She assures me and takes a step closer.

I shut my eyes and inhale slowly. This feels surreal. I am not in the compound anymore. I am safe. I am with my family, so why do I still feel haunted? Why do I feel like a prisoner? Why has this burden remained on my shoulder?

I spread my palm on my belly. It is still swollen, which is something, but for some reason, I feel disconnected from my baby.

“I’ll get the doctor,” Eve says quickly and walks away.

I force myself up and swallow dryly. I look out the window, stunned to see the beautiful landscape. It’s definitely not in Mexico or New York.

A knock sounds on the door, and Eve returns with a doctor behind her. She smiles at me, adjusts her coat and speaks, “Hi, Ms Diaz. I am Dr Muna Shay. I’m also an Ob-Gyn. You have made a tremendous recovery. I know you probably feel a little foggy, and that is understandable because we had to –”

I cut her off without a care. “I … can’t feel my baby.”

She frowns and steps closer. She pauses before touching me, and I nod. She checks my heart rate and blood pressure. Then, applies a gel-like substance on my belly, spreading it all around. 

“Do not tell me the gender. I want my husband here with me, and please, it is Mrs Diaz-Sterling, but since that is a mouthful, just call me Scarlett.” I murmur, tiredly, and she nods.

“Well, Scarlett, your baby is fine and dandy. Would you like to hear h – the heartbeat?” She asks, and I nod eagerly, “Yes, please.”

She clicks on something and the soft sound of my baby’s heartbeat fills the room, soft, steady and alive. Warmth spreads through my entire body, and I shut my eyes firmly. The tears slip through, and my lungs feel tight. “Is she alright? Strong? Is everything alright with her? I haven’t … I haven’t been taking care of myself.” I whisper shamefully.

“Yes, Scarlett, your baby is fine and growing as it should. You have nothing to worry about, but to put your mind at rest, we’ll monitor you for the next couple of days. You have taken care of yourself as best as you could. You have done a very good job, so please do not beat yourself up at all. You survived what most people wouldn’t.” Her voice softens, and I blink back tears.

She wipes the jelly off my stomach. “I’ll be close by. I’ll be with you until the end of the road, Scarlett, and if you want a different doctor, that is also fine.” 

I nod, pushing past the knot in my throat. I want a lot of things, but a different doctor isn’t on the list at all. I want my baby to be born safely. I want Roman to pull through. I want to have what we used to, or at least a semblance of it. I want peace and calmness.

She leaves, and it is just Eve and me. She sits beside me, staring at me as if she has never seen me before. I wonder what she sees when she looks at me.

“I know what you’re going to say, but …” she pauses, “I am so sorry that he used me to get to you.”

I roll my eyes, “You are my sister, Eve. You are everything to me, and you were the sacrifice I wasn’t willing to make. This is not your fault. You did nothing wrong. Emiliano is the bastard responsible, and I hope he rots in hell.” My tone comes out sharper at the end.

Eve looks away immediately, and I frown, “W … what’s wrong?”

“Uh, you should probably sleep.” She stands up.

“Tell me now,” I order calmly.

“Emiliano is not dead. He is missing.” She whispers, and my world pauses. 

He isn’t dead. Of course, he isn’t dead. I shake my head, amused. My work is not done, and I cannot find peace until that bastard is dead.